WEBVTT HAPPEN THE NEXT TIME WEGET A STORM LIKE THAT.IN A SPECIAL REPORT, 16 WAPT'SSCOTT SIMMONS INVESTIGATESMDOT'S RESPONSE>> THIS IS I-55 AT THE WOODROWWILSON APPROACH.DURING THE JANUARY ICE STORM, AFAR DIFFERENT STORY.WE LOOK NORTH AT THE 18 WHEELERSTHAT ARE PULLED OVER.>> I WAS OUT HERE DURING THATJANUARY STORM.IT WAS AN ICY ROAD MASS.M-DOT SAYS IT WILL GET ANOTHERONE LIKE THAT, THEY MAY APPROACHIT THE SAME WAY.>> YOU KNOW, IT WAS THE PERFECTSTORM BECAUSE THE NATIONALWEATHER FORECAST WAS WRONG.NOBODY WAS PREPARED.THAT IS WHY THE SCHOOLS ALL CAMETO SCHOOL THAT DAY.REPORTER: THE ICE STORM THAT THEMETRO JANUARY 6 WAS SUDDEN.BUT FORECASTERS UPDATED THEIRPREDICTIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAYAS THE STORM MOVED CLOSER.>> MIXED BAG OF PRECIPITATION.>> WE HAD LIKE AN INCH AND AHALF OF ICE JUST OVER AN HOUR,HOUR AND A HALF.THERE IS NOT A PRODUCT OUT THERETHAT YOU CAN PUT ON THE ROADQUICK ENOUGH TO MELT THAT.THERE WAS REALLY NOTHING WECOULD DO.REPORTER: BY THE EVENING THEHOURS, INTERSTATE WAS INGRIDLOCK.BRIDGES WERE IMPASSABLE.TRUCKERS WERE STRANDED.STILL, BY IT'S OWN ADMISSION,M-DOT SAYS IT STARTED PREPARINGFOR THIS STORM DAYS BEFORE.AND WHILE IT DID PUT DOWN SALTAND OTHER ICE RETARDANTS THE DAYOF THE STORM, MDOT SAYS THE RAINWASHED IT AWAY.IN THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENTSURVEY THE STATE ROAD SYSTEMSUSING SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS,WILLIE HUFF, HEAD OF MDOT LAWENFORCEMENT, SAYS AT ONE POINTTHE EVENING OF JANUARY 6, THEY, COULDN'T PUT MORE MATERIAL ONTHE ROADS BECAUSE OF THE COLDRAIN OR GET CREWS TO THOSEPROBLEM SPOTS.>> SLOWLY WE LEARNED ALSO, ORWHAT WE REAFFIRMED ALSO, IS OUREQUIPMENT HAS THE SAME PROBLEMEVERYONE ELSE HAS IN GETTINGAROUND ON ICY ROADWAYS.>> WHY DO STATES UP NORTH NOTHAVE THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE IN-- HAVE DURING ICE STORMS?>> THEY HAVE MORE SNOW THAN WEHAVE.>> AND HUFF SAYS SNOW ON THEROADS IS EASIER TO DEAL WITHTHAN ICE ON THE ROADS.BUT ICY ROADS IS NOT A NEWDEVELOPMENT IN COLD WEATHER.WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?WHAT WILL YOU DO DIFFERENTLYTHAT WE DIDN'T DO THAT TIME?>> I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE ISANYTHING WE COULD HAVE DONEDIFFERENT EXCEPT MAYBE IF WE HADMORE EQUIPMENT MORE PERSONNEL, THAT WE COULD HAVE PUT OUTTHERE.REPORTER: THAT REQUEST FOR MORESTATE MONEY IS A HARD SELL ATTHE STATE CAPITOL.MDOT IS CURRENTLY ASKINGLAWMAKERS FOR MORE THAN $400MILLION MORE TO IMPROVE ROADSAND BRIDGES.THAT IS ON TOP OF THE THE MORETHAN $1 BILLION ANNUAL BUDGET.>> I AM NOT SURE IF IT'S APROBLEM OF NOT HAVING THECOMMODITY OR PRODUCT TO PUT ONTHE GROUND.AND IT'S CERTAINLY NOT A RESULTOF NOT HAVING THE TRUCKS.>> IN PARTICULAR, THE ICE STORMDEBACLE EARLIER THIS YEAR FORPUTTING OUT RETARDANT ANDLETTING IT BE WASHED AWAY BYRAIN IS NOT THE MOST SKILLEDRESPONSE TO A CRITICAL EMERGENCYTHAT COULD IMPACT PEOPLE'SLIVES.>> THE BEST THING TO USE FORTHAT TYPE OF SITUATION IS WHATWE HAVE.MOTOR GRADERS WORK TO PUSH DOWNON THE ICE AND POP IT OFF.DUMP TRUCKS WITH THOSE BLADES ONTHE FRONT.BUT WE ARE FACED EVERY YEAR WITHA VEHICLE MORATORIUM WHICH ISFLOATING AROUND, ACROSS THESTREET THIS YEAR.SO THAT MEANS NO NEW EQUIPMENT.>> M-DOT SAYS IT HAS NO NEWAPPROACHES.